Carson Palmer thinks every team would accept a gay teammate

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 1, 2013, 11:48 AM EDT

AP

Carson Palmer has been in the NFL for a decade and played for the Bengals, Raiders and now the Cardinals, and he says he has never seen any reason to believe that an openly gay player would run into discrimination on an NFL team.

“In our locker room I think he would be accepted very easily,” Palmer said. “I’ve been around the league a long time and you play with a lot of guys from a lot of different backgrounds, and that’s just the world we live in. I don’t think there would be any issues in this locker room. I think guys would accept him. All the locker rooms I’ve been in, in fact, since I’ve been in the NFL, I think he would be accepted very easily.”

Palmer said he believes Collins’ decision to come out this week will make it more likely for an NFL player to come out.

“He’s opened the door and obviously made it easier for guys to follow in his footsteps,” Palmer said.

And words of wisdom like those from Palmer make it easier for a gay player to know he’d be accepted.

Geez Carson, check Twitter after the announcement was made Monday… Guys like Alphonzo Smith, Aaron Curry, and others basically came out condemning Collins and saying completely offensive things. *(I know these guys aren’t stars, but these are the guys speaking their minds outside of the filters the stars have in place to protect their images)

Accepting is a strong word. Tolerating is a commonly used word. You can tolerate someone but to be a team and support each other, there needs to be acceptence. I don’t think any of the sports are truly ready, but we don’t exactly have scholars playing football… I would assume Smith and Curry have many peers that share their opinions unfortunately. Carson might accept it, but he should take a better look around the locker room.

Oh, boy…
Why is this question even being asked of NFL players? Most of them have learned their lesson to either not answer at all or give the politically correct answer so not to be run out of the league by the liberal media.
Gays are wonderful people!!!
They deserve all those “gay pride parades” and their own “gay bars,” “gay TV shows” and “gay clothing.” Soon they may even have their own “gays-only” parking places…
Yipee!!!
I’m still waiting for the first “farm-animal lover” to come out. What’s the holdup?

As long as the gay players act like men and don’t flaunt it, than why would any of their teammates care what they do in their private lives?
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It’s a logical question in theory, but just because their teammates shouldn’t care, doesn’t mean that they won’t. I think you would be surprised at the anti-gay attitudes bred into professional athletes through years and years of jock culture.

gnorules says:May 1, 2013 12:57 PM

It’s pretty sad to see all the gay jokes coming up on here. I think it was a pretty brave thing to do what Jason Collins did, not knowing any possible backlash that could come in the public and the locker room. But I do think it’s going to start a trend and we will see multiple people announce that they are gay as well. Time will tell how the public and American professional sports teams handle this, but I think it will become more and more accepted over the long term.

If you thought the Collins story was over blown and got tired of hearing it after the first 10000 times in the first day, just wait until an NFL player decides he wants to make an announcement. Itll be the Collins saga times 1,000,000. And we arent done yet. THEN wait until an actual good famous player comes out. Itll be heaven on earth for the media/left and hell for all of us who will have to go into the closet ourselves just to stop hearing about it.

Carson, hate to break it to you but the steelers and patriots already welcomed gay players onto their team — William and Randall respectively.

barneyrumble says:May 1, 2013 1:02 PM

How about the media quit trying to force this or guess when it is going to happen and if someone wants to come out, let them do it on their own time and comfort level, and if no one comes out, fine, leave them alone, and let them play football. Too much to ask?

The real reason Jason Collins came out.. was because hes on the back end of his career and knows its a hot topic he can make money on.. not much longer untill he has a book deal, And is a talk show host.

Palmer saying it would work in his lockerroom is implying that its his lockerroom. He would make it work as leader of the team, if the player can help you win.

And aside from that, Gay players are already here y’all – you just don’t know who they are. You’re already fans of them, and just don’t know it. The only missing element is them “coming out”.

If a player coming out changes your fandom, you’ve got problems.

Reminds me of when racist went to see Hunger Games and realized that Rue was black/colored, and then hated the character. Talk about crazy.

transam7816 says:May 1, 2013 1:25 PM

Let’s be real. Sports aren’t ready for male gay players. There have been countless players who have come out saying that they don’t accept it. I dunno what juice Carson is drinking. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t think male gay players in sports will ever be accepted. There will be ridicule by teammates/fans, and most likely lowball offers from teams. Would any of you come out if you were a male gay athlete knowing you could possibly ruin your athletic career?

Personally I am sick of hearing about the gay issue! In Supreme Court, in sports, in TV and movies. Really? I looked up the percentage of gay/lesbian in our population. Want to take a guess? 4-5%. Now, don’t we have bigger problems like unemployment, healthcare costs, homelessness, hunger, terrorists in our homeland? NO. We have to be hit in the face by this issue day in/day out. Enough already. Let’s address some real issues and quit ramming down our throat (sorry) this issue that affects such a small amount of our population!

Jason collins coming out is great for him. Sorry to all the politically correct people on here. I just wish his views werent forced on people. If your for gays great. If not thats great to. You as a person have a right to your opinion. But to be bashed for saying how you feel is ridiculous.

Let’s see Jason Collins is unemployed, averaged 1.1 pts per game last year and played alnl of 6 games last year. This is a big deal how, he is probably just trying to force himself on a team.

lovefootball4life says:May 1, 2013 1:33 PM

This was the politically correct response whether he truly thinks that way or not. He’s been around and in the media enough to knows how it works.

I really don’t have an issue with how people live their lives but it really isn’t necessary for people to know which way you lean. If you want to come out, just live your life, don’t hide anything but you don’t have to declare your preference first.

I’m so freaking tired of people saying the phrase, “Why do they feel the need to tell everyone what they do in their bedrooms?”

Um, they don’t. When you see Tom Brady with his wife, do you know what they do in their bedrooms? No, you don’t. You know that they are heterosexual. You know that they have sexual relations. But that doesn’t tell you what they precisely do in their bedrooms. When a player comes out, he’s not telling you what he does in his bedroom, he’s simply saying what his orientation is.

And no one is “flaunting” anything. When Chad Ochocinco (Johnson) and Terrell Owens go and have twenty kids with eight different women, that’s not considered flaunting, but when a gay person comes out, it is now “flaunting”?

Having a gay teamate will only bring a circus. Think if jason collins signs with a team his teamates will constantly be asked questions about it. Way to be a teamate. As a teamate I would like to thank jason collins for living in hell. And if he doesnt sign with a team is it because he’s gay or cause he cant play anymore? My guess is he will blame not getting a job on being gay. Not the fact that he is’ nt even a bench warmer. Sincerly your new teamate

motsuret06 says:May 1, 2013 2:13 PM

Who cares what Carson Palmer thinks about the gay issue or any other issue for that matter? What matters is how they produce on the football field. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with it. It is what it is……John Fox

Some of this comments are ridiculous. There are already dozens of gay players in the league. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that if they came out tomorrow they wouldn’t “flaunt it” and start wearing feather boas to work. It’s that kind of mindless prejudice that has held this country back over the decades while other societies pass us by and make us look dumb. It’s also not fair to say everyone should keep their sexuality to themselves because its assumed if you say nothing that your straight, therefore “acceptable”. Nothing will change if gay players were allowed to express their sexuality. They are already in the showers with you after a game and so far I haven’t heard of any problems with that situation. Grow up.

I don’t give a crap WHO, or WHAT you sleep with. PLAY FOOTBALL ! Why must we be constantly bombarded by these gay people about who they sleep with. SHUT UP & LIVE UR LIFE & LET ME LIVE MINE !!! Get outta my face !

prmpft says:May 1, 2013 4:14 PM

he meant He “accepted” gay teammates on every team He has been on…

thirdistheworrd says:May 1, 2013 4:20 PM

Rick Spielman is a Magician says: May 1, 2013 11:53 AM

Oh, good. We hadn’t seen a post about gay football players in a while. Why not change the name of this site to gayprofootballandtebowtalk?
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Wait, is that not the name of this site?
I guess gayprofootballandtebowandthegrassconditionsatfedexfieldtalk would be too long.

ruvelligwebuike says:May 1, 2013 4:54 PM

I’ve been waiting my whole life with baited-breath to hear what Carson Palmer thinks about potentially having a gay teammate at some point.

If Tebow signs with someone and we get the pleasure of hearing another random player’s opinion on hypothetical gay teammates tomorrow, it is going to be a great week for me!